Regional Roundup 01-11-2008

Published 6:00 pm, Thursday, January 10, 2008

Silverton United Methodist Church maintains a local ministry of loaning out hospital equipment to anyone in the community needing physical aid for living at home.

It began with donations of equipment from John Henry Crow. Since that time, the church has acquired more beds, wheelchairs, walkers and other equipment.

Anyone with such equipment the church has loaned who is finished with it is asked to return it so that it may be loaned to someone else.

If you know of someone in need of equipment to help live at home, call the church at 823-2140 or Bronc Otis a 823-2555.

Silverton subscribers were notified at the end of 2007 that the Amarillo Globe-News would no longer be thrown here after Monday. This follows similar action by the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.

Daily newspapers will be sent by mail to subscribers.  Briscoe-County News

HALE CENTER

Kenneth Starcher, professor of alternate energy at West Texas A&M University, will speak at a special Chamber of Commerce meeting at noon Jan. 23 at Owls Cafe.

Anyone interested in wind power is invited to attend.

Questions can be submitted in advance to bkmoon@iscgroup.com  Hale Center American

TULIA

The Texas Department of Transportation has begun an $882,000 project to add curb ramps along several state roadways in Castro and Swisher counties. Work to add or upgrade ramps to meet American with Disabilities Act standards at 40 intersections in Tulia, along SH 86, U.S. 87, FM 1318 and FM 146 was scheduled to start Jan. 2.

Constructing ADA ramps in the six Castro and Swisher county cities of Dimmitt, Hart, Nazareth, Tulia, Happy and Kress should take about six months.  The Tulia Herald

FLOYDADA

On Jan. 7, a group of missionaries from First United Methodist Church in Floydada set off on a trip halfway around the world to Niger, Africa, to share what they find most important  God's love.

Niger is a Muslim country, and they won't be able to freely evangelize there. One of the members of the group, Magruder, is a nurse and former missionary to Vietnam. Through her and Lee's work as nurses, they will have access to work with women and children. Access can only be granted through the "chief" of each village and the missionary organization, International Baptiste Missionary Meridionales.

There are many customs that will have to be followed. The women will have to wear skirts and cover their heads.

French is the official language of the people of Niger but each village speaks their own dialect.  Floyd County Hesperian-Beacon

KRESS

A benefit dinner for longtime Kress resident Gumercindo Marquez Jr. will be held from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday at the Kress School Cafeteria. Enchilada plates with all the trimmings can be purchased for $7 for adults and $3 for children. A tray of a dozen enchiladas is $15.

Marquez has been diagnosed with cancer and is undergoing treatment. Proceeds from the dinner will be used to help with medical bills.  The Kress Chronicle

OLTON

"The Stampeding Mustangs" mural in the Olton schools cafeteria captures the essence of mustangs.

The mural is the work of three women  artist Becky Smith, 2008 Academic Booster Club president Kristy Goen and 2007 president Rhonda Pinkerton. Goen and Pinkerton put down several layers of blue base coat before Smith transformed the wall into the beautiful outdoor scene  playful mustangs stampeding through a grassy area under a cloudy blue sky.

Smith wanted to depict mustangs as rugged and strong.

This isn't the first mural Smith has done on Olton school campuses. Her work can be found in the library at Webb Elementary, in the gymnasium and at the entry to the auditorium at Olton High School.

ABC also commissioned the library mural, which was completed several years ago. Painted above the shelves on all four walls, the mural depicts characters from children's literature. She has also done murals at Wayland Baptist University and Plainview Christian Academy.  Olton Enterprise